My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 52 Part 3

By the time they reached the flat official road, the sky was already growing dark.  

However, just another ten li (5 km) on the official road would bring them to the courier station of Lianping Prefecture, where stationed soldiers collected tolls from passing merchants. They could also rest there for the night. 

There was no need to panic now—even if it got dark, it wasn’t far to travel with torches.  

Everyone’s tense hearts finally settled, and without realizing it, they were drenched in sweat. The wind by the river felt oddly chilly.  

No one idled. They first unloaded the goods from the livestock, letting them rest and drink water while feeding on grass. Then they hitched the carts again, making the journey much easier from here on.  

Huo Shu promptly bundled Ji Taoyu back into the carriage: "Change all your clothes so you don’t catch a chill."  

Ji Taoyu had been carried most of the way by Huo Shu, so he hadn’t sweated much. But after walking a stretch earlier, his feet were covered in mud and now completely soaked.  

Illness starts from the feet—he obediently climbed into the carriage to change his shoes and socks first.  

[Illness starts from the feet: cold and dampness entering through the feet can weaken the body's defenses, leading to ailments like colds, fatigue, or poor circulation, emphasizing the importance of keeping feet warm and dry for overall health]

Then he burrowed himself under the blankets.  

After a short rest, the group scraped off the mud from their feet and cart wheels before hurrying toward the courier station.  

Along the way, they encountered another merchant team carrying lanterns and torches.  

The team ahead noticeably slowed their pace upon seeing others behind them.  

With the two groups traveling side by side, the combined light made the path brighter and easier to navigate.  

"Ugh, those black-hearted bastards, making money off others’ misery. I hope they get struck by lightning!"  

"May they die horribly! Next time I see them, I’ll hire a couple of trained fighters to teach them a lesson!"  

Ge Liang, hearing the grumbling from the other team, asked, "What’s got you all so worked up?"  

"What else? Those scoundrels at Longwei Slope who jack up prices on the spot!"  

"Those heartless, childless crooks! It’s all a setup targeting merchants!"  

Ge Liang raised an eyebrow. "How so?"  

"Did anyone on the official road warn you about Longwei Slope being slippery and dangerous, with bandits lurking? Told you to hurry through?"  

Ge Liang’s group immediately chimed in, "Exactly! A merchant team hauling goods told us the same!"  

"Ha! For us, it was an old man with a limp hitching a ride. We took pity on him and let him ride along, and he fed us all sorts of warnings."  

"We thought he was just being kind, so we rushed our livestock forward—only to get strong-armed into hiring locals to help transport our goods."  

"Met other teams on the way, all in the same boat."  

After calming down, it dawned on them—this was all a carefully laid trap.  

The other team started cursing again: "All that effort just to trick outsiders crossing Longwei Slope. With that much cunning, they could’ve made an honest living!"  

"What about the bandits? Was that just a scare tactic too?"  

The merchants sneered. "Oh, the bandits are real. If you stubbornly camped at Longwei Slope to rest your livestock overnight, they’d just disguise themselves and come steal your animals and goods under cover of darkness!"  

"Either way, they win. Damn sons of bitches!"  

Huo Shu’s group was stunned. They were just honest village men who’d fought and quarreled with neighbors but had never encountered such ruthless scheming.  

Looking back, they shuddered at the thought—if not for Huo Shu’s decisive call, how much money would they have lost?  

Earlier, seeing their livestock still had strength left to cross the slope, they’d begun to acknowledge Huo Shu’s judgment. Now, knowing the full truth, they were downright impressed.  

For a moment, everyone fell into silent contemplation.  

By the time the merchant teams reached the courier station, it was already late.  

This was the first station upon entering Lianping Prefecture, built large to accommodate the many travelers who stopped here after crossing Longwei Slope.  

The place was bustling, with locals running inns and eateries around the station, turning it into a small town of its own.  

Huo Shu found a reasonably priced inn, settled Ji Taoyu in their room, and called for hot water.  

He still had to go to the station to pay tolls and process paperwork so they could pass through smoothly the next day.  

"Brother Huo, everyone’s exhausted today. I’ve asked the kitchen to prepare some dishes, we’ll eat together when you get back."  

Huo Shu acknowledged Ge Liang with a nod and strode off.  

Tian Fu and the men from Hongli Village sat together, watching Huo Shu leave with complex expressions.  

"Brother Ge, about today’s incident..."  

Tian Fu hesitated, then forced out the words: "I was reckless."  

Ge Liang took a sip of tea and raised an eyebrow, chuckling lightly.  

"Now you realize you were rash. But telling me this is useless, apologize to the one who deserves it."  

Tian Fu rested a hand on the table, not immediately responding, his face turned away uncomfortably.  

Ge Liang understood—pride was hard to swallow. Young and hot-headed, he’d seen plenty like this in the army.  

But he wasn’t in the mood to coax. Some lessons had to be learned firsthand. Now that Tian Fu recognized his mistake, it was growth enough.  

Ge Liang turned to his fellow villagers, speaking earnestly: "I know you all have reservations about Brother Huo. He seems cold and unyielding, but beneath that, he’s warm-hearted. If not for him, I might not have made it back alive from the army."  

"Brother Huo is a man of real skill. In the northern frontier army, he rose to the rank of captain. He enlisted at fifteen and spent ten years on the border, his reticence and sternness are only natural. Following him is good fortune for us all. Trust his judgment and ability. If you work hard under his lead, he won’t treat you unfairly."  

"Today, you’ve seen how treacherous people can be out here. On this journey north, we’ll encounter all sorts. If we doubt each other instead of standing united, we’ll only fall into others’ traps more easily."  

"Brother Huo has seen every kind of person and ghost on the battlefield, his experience dwarfs ours from farming a few acres back home."  

The men from Hongli Village nodded gravely.  

Empty words meant little, experience was the true teacher.  

"Don’t worry, from now on, we’re of one mind. We’ll follow Huo Shu’s lead."  

Seeing his fellow villagers’ resolve, Tian Fu also agreed sincerely: "I won’t speak out of turn again. As long as it’s for the good of the group, I’ve got nothing to say."  

Ji Taoyu stood unnoticed behind the counter, listening to the conversation. As he understood their words, the tension in his forehead eased.  

Without disturbing them, he quietly picked up the two toothbrushes he had asked for earlier and returned to his room.  

In the end, Brother Huo's approach proved most effective - mere words were powerless. True understanding could only come through firsthand experience.